


the things we do for ten dollars

by olesmainshoe



Category: Shadowhunters (TV), The Mortal Instruments Series - Cassandra Clare
Genre: Alternate Universe - Stripper/Exotic Dancer, Clizzy - Freeform, Everyone Is Gay, F/F, F/M, M/M, Malec, Other ships coming from my wild imagination, Strippers & Strip Clubs, jimon
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-22
Updated: 2020-04-05
Packaged: 2020-10-26 04:49:48
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 10,383
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20736497
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/olesmainshoe/pseuds/olesmainshoe
Summary: "High Warlock of Brooklyn" Magnus Bane owns a prestigious stripclub in New-York.Jace, Izzy, Maia and a bunch of others work here.One day a nerd walks into the club by mistake, and what he finds in there he never wants to leave.





	1. what are the chances?

_ **September 12th 2016** _

  
  
  
"Come on Alec, it will be fun!"  
  
They have been driving for a little while now. Traffic on a Saturday night is never ideal, especially in a big city like New York. The streets are busy and this ride is at best a reminder of why Alec hates his sister’s driving so much.   
Isabelle has no real interest in respecting the traffic lights and speed limitations. Speaking of which, he gasps when she almost doesn’t stop for the pregnant woman crossing the street. Jace scoffs in the backseat and rubs Alec’s shoulders to get him to relax.  
  
"Full offense but you two haven’t shut up since we left home so I already hate it."  
  
And he does hate it. Every part of it, with every inch of his being. From the moment he sees the big pink yellow and blue neon sign that says "PANDEMONIUM", to the moment they’re heading towards the door. With Izzy leading the way totally ignoring the people who are lining up to get in, Alec regrets ever agreeing to go out with the both of them. _You guys only live to torment me_, he thinks to himself, eyeing the people waiting and their interesting choices of clothing. All very exuberant. All very far from Alec’s style.   
  
But there is a sign on the wall he sees when Isabelle yanks the heavy steel door open. _  
__  
__[ Please respect the strippers - they are people too! -The staff. ] __  
_  
Alec’s heart skips a couple thousand beats ; strippers. Of course they would bring him here for his 21st birthday. He tugs on Izzy’s wrist to stop her.   
  
"You said we were going clubbing!"  
  
"And we are Alec," she says, smiling gloriously at him.  
  
"It's a strip club, Izzy!" He exclaims, fully aware of Jace laughing behind them.   
  
Much to his dismay, she pats the bouncer’s shoulder and brushes past the guy. Jace and Alec follow her in. She whirls around with more grace and nonchalance than needed and walks backwards to face her brothers.   
  
"Strip clubbing_ is_ clubbing, big bro."  
  
Playing with words has to be one of Izzy’s favorite way to get out of uncomfortable situations. She uses it on Alec too, and it works. More than he likes to admit, especially now that they are surrounded by a bunch of strippers and loud customers.   
Isabelle keeps making her way through the crowd, smiling and occasionally waving and it gives Alec the terrifying feeling she’s been here before.   
She leads them down a narrow hallway. It’s dark in there but Alec takes a look around to see gold baroque tapestry on the walls. He cringes at the music that’s blasting through the doors though, finding it way too loud for him to properly enjoy.  
  
“It’s a bisexual stripclub. Magnus Bane owns it and created the concept a couple of years ago,” she explains, stopping in front of another door with the word “Men” written in gold letters. Alec frowns.  
  
“Restroom?”   
  
Izzy grins, undoubtedly happy he made this easy mistake.   
  
“Like I said, it’s a new concept. There’s a room with male strippers...” She points at the door they’re facing. “...and one with female strippers.”  
  
Alec would have thought the idea was pure genius if he hadn’t been too busy freaking out about being in a stripclub in the first place. But apparently there is no turning back now because Izzy looks determined to push that door open and drag him in with her.   
So he takes deep breaths, trying to gather himself before stepping into this actual pandemonium. His little sister lays a hand on the door handle and glances over her shoulder to smile one last time.   
  
“Trust me,” she says, annoyingly confident. “Gay clubs don’t compare.”   
  
She pushes the door open and the music is as expected too loud, pulsing through Alec’s ribcage and it reminds him exactly of why he never goes to nightclubs unless his siblings are forcing him. Izzy looks over her shoulder and must notice his discomfort because she slows down to grab his hand, grinning at him. He rolls his eyes before letting her lead them any further in their attempt to find the perfect spot. The perfect spot of course being where they would have the best possible chances of him getting a lapdance.   
  
Alec feels like bursting into flames when Jace spots a table in the front row and they all sit here, though he is thankful that there is nobody on stage yet. Saying that he is resenting them is an understatement. Hell, they have been sitting here for two minutes now and his leg is already shaking up and down in dreadful anticipation. He pretends to look at the drinks menu knowing too well his stomach is too knotted and that he couldn’t drink alcohol if he wanted to.  
  
  
“Hey Iz!”  
  
Confused as to who in here could possibly know his sister, Alec looks up to see a group of young women wearing heavy makeup, high ponytails and robes. He chokes on nothing and looks genuinely horrified when among them he recognizes Lydia, Aline and Lindsay.   
  
“Isn’t that Lydia Branwell from 11th grade?” Jace asks and neither him or Alec can take their eyes off her.  
  
“Yes, yes I think that’s her.”   
  
“Damn she got hot,” He whispers, unaware of Izzy glaring at them.  
  
“Gayer too.” Alec says cocking an eyebrow at her, remembering how she was like back in their junior year.   
  
Lydia and him have sort of dated in highschool when neither of them were out as gay, while Aline and Lindsay just happen to go to college with him. The three of them are staring right back at him, looking equally embarrassed. Izzy stands up to introduce everyone before her brother freaks out.   
  
“Jace, Alec, meet Maia and Kaelie. Girls, these are my older brothers I told you about.”  
  
The girls wave while the two nod awkwardly, still not recovering from the shock.   
  
“How come you’re not on stage?”  
  
The Maia girl explains that ‘Gretel’ got sick and they are missing an MC and they have to wait for ‘Dot’ to get here but whatever it means, Alec has no idea. Aline finally turns to him.   
  
“Dude, what are the chances,” She scoffs. “Meeting here, in a… stripclub.”  
  
“Don’t bother,” Izzy says while Aline is still stalling for excuses. “I decided to tell them.”  
  
“Tell us what?”   
  
Suddenly, the sound of someone tapping on a microphone echoes into the room and Alec startles.   
  
“Ahh, Cat’s back you guys. You know what this means.” Lydia says and Izzy turns to her with a devilish grin because of course they know what it means and Jace and Alec are the only ones still in the dark.   
  
“Ladies, Gentlemen and Non-Binary folks, are you ready?”   
  
People at the tables immediately cheer and clap chaotically and it seems to Alec that they are being loud enough but he knows what’s coming. Though he thinks this place might actually be LGBTQI+ community paradise.  
  
“I said; are you ready?!” (There it goes.) She teases again and Izzy cheers so loudly Alec spots some people glance at her over their shoulders.  
  
He frowns at the noise the whole room is making and if he hadn’t been an atheist he would’ve prayed for a power cut to be home early. But none of that ends up happening and the lights in the middle of the stage fades and people cheer even louder.   
  
“As usual I’m Cat and I will be your MC tonight! Now - you know him well my friends. He’s been away on business for a little while, but now he’s back for you lovely people!” The voice exclaims.   
  
Alec doesn’t see a face until he looks around and finds the DJ cabin and sees who must be Cat. She sounds very good at her job from what he’s guessing her job is. The people are going crazy and he can’t help but feel a little excited himself but refuses to let it show.   
  
“He’s no joker when it comes to performing. No longer introducing, your host, hell, your Lord and Savior - _The High Warlock of Brooklyn_, Magnus Bane!!!”  
  
The lights progressively come back on and the public screams again. Only one man is standing in the middle of the stage, wearing what looks like skin-tight black leather pants. Alec nods to the shirtless and oiled-up man there and the song _I know what boys like _starts playing. The guy is smiling at the crowd, welcoming the cheers he is currently getting for no reason other than being so breathtakingly well built and beautiful. _  
__  
_“Is that Magnus Bane? I thought he owned the place… He dances too?   
  
Izzy and the girls crack up. They exchange looks and slap each other’s shoulders. Then finally, Maia speaks.  
  
“You’re asking if Magnus Bane can dance?”  
  
“Hold on to your hat, pretty boy.” Kaelie says with an evil grin.  
  
And if only he had been wearing a hat, he would have taken her advice. Because what happens next is something he will never forget. And he’s not sure Izzy and Jace would let him anyway. It doesn’t take long for Alec to understand why the man is such a star around here. ‘Good dancer’ is not enough to qualify him. Everyone can tell he dances not only with his body, but with his soul too, and he really lives for being on stage.   
But before he knows it Magnus is eyeing the crowd and Alec freezes in his chair. He’s looking for someone to give a lapdance to, and Isabelle thinks it’s the greatest idea ever to start waving at Magnus and pointing at her brother.   
  
Alec doesn’t have time to protest, because the girls have joined Izzy in trying to get Magnus’ attention. Lydia is waving too and he actually feels a little betrayed because _after all that we’ve been through_... They’re being really noisy and Alec knows his chances of going home untouched are abysmal.  
The ‘High Warlock of Brookyln’ stops at the edge of the stage and yanks at his pants, tearing them off to reveal a leather thong and Alec would wonder how in hell did he manage to do that but he’s too busy staring at the man’s embarrassingly exposed crotch.  
  
Magnus’ eyes find Alec’s when he throws what’s left of his pants at the birthday boy’s face. The girls are now screaming in his ears and Magnus is coming for him. The dancer jumps off the stage in a cat-like move and dances his way to their table.   
The only thing Alec hears after that is Jace’s voice in his ear, “I’ll hold on to that,” as he takes the pants his brother had in his hands.   
  
{ _But you, you’re special, I might let you }__  
__  
_With a devilish smug look, Magnus comes in closer and joins his hands behind Alec’s head, hips rolling and he’s so close, too close as he starts grinding against his stomach. He comes down a little until he’s sitting on Alec’s crotch and keeps rubbing himself against him. _  
_ Alec’s hands are at his sides and he has no idea where to look right now. He feels like screaming but he manages a nervous laugh when he shares a look with his brother and sister. He would be lying if he said he found this totally unpleasant. Embarrassing, but not unpleasant. Magnus grabs his chin and makes Alec look at him. He can feel both their breaths coming quicker and the stripper starts to lean back slowly, placing Alec’s hands on his abs and the birthday boy can feel all the muscles tense under his fingers.   
  
His skin is burning up, Alec can’t resist running his hands all over Magnus’ rock-hard chest and he wants to reach for those shining piercings on the man’s nipples that reflect all the spotlights’ colors they can catch, but he knows you’re not allowed to touch more than what the strippers allow you to. And so instead he can’t help himself and glances down but Magnus sits up straight at the same time and Alec is startled.   
Magnus grinds again against his stomach and crotch, slowly this time and Alec is now praying for him to get back up before he gets an actual boner. And he’s surprised to find Magnus smiling too and he thinks for a second he’s looking into his eyes while he’s dancing on his lap, like he’s actually enjoying this too, and Alec almost melts right there in his chair.   
  
The High Warlock then stands up, and Alec thinks it’s over but (thankfully) Magnus pulls his legs apart and drops to his knees between them, running his hands up and down Alec’s thighs, ducking his head suggestively, his body still swaying with the music. But this doesn’t last long and he comes back up. Alec is smiling by now, staring directly into Magnus’ eyes but a few sets of hands agitating bills in front of his face bring him back to what looks like some twisted reality. He looks away from Magnus and sees the owners of those hands are Izzy, Maia and Kaelie.   
He shares a quick look with Magnus and grins, not realizing what he’s agreeing to do. The dancer invitingly opens his arms wide so he grabs on the most bills he can in one time and slips them roughly in Magnus’ underwear, bursting out laughing with everyone going crazy around him. Izzy and Jace are making the most noise, clapping and whistling.   
  
Alec bites his lip in amusement when his eyes meet Magnus’ again. Magnus is laughing too now and he sits back on his lap this time facing the other way.   
  
_{ I know what boys like, I know what guys want }__  
___  
He leans back until he’s resting against Alec’s chest, making him lean further back into his chair too. Magnus is doing body-rolls against Alec, holding his head against his neck and the birthday boy doesn’t mind at all, breathing in the dancer’s scent.   
Alec finds that he is really having fun now, so much that he doesn’t mind Jace and Izzy watching, he can barely hear the music anymore, can’t really hear his brother and sister laughing and cheering at him. He’s even considering sneaking out of the conversation they will have after that to try and offer Magnus a drink. 


	2. obviously that's got to hurt

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jace dropped out of college and is not quite sure what to do with his life. Porn is not an option he's considering, so why not be a stripper?

** _[ October 19th 2017 ]_ **   
  
  
Magnus’ phone rings and the screen says ‘Alec’, so he waits a few seconds like he usually does (he has to look busy even when he’s not) and picks up. Not like he has been expecting his boyfriend’s call all afternoon.    
  
“Alexander - still coming tonight?”   
  
Magnus Bane is a very busy man. He’s always working on a new project, so he usually travels all the time, whether it be for work or pleasure. He’s a free spirit and staying in one place makes him feel like a caged animal. But things have changed in the past few years. 

He’s managed to put the problems caused by his ex-girlfriend and ex-associate Camille behind and now, and his club is _thriving_. This is one of the reasons why he’s been a lot more sedentary these past few months, and another reason is Alec. His new boyfriend - whom he met a year ago thanks to Isabelle - still goes to college and therefore can’t afford (though Magnus has offered quite a few times) to travel to another country while classes are still going.   
Magnus just got home yesterday from a business trip in Tokyo and they still haven’t celebrated their one year anniversary together, kind of hoping tonight might be their chance.   
  
“Of course, wouldn’t miss that,” Alec mumbles and Magnus smiles, guessing he’s not alone.   
  


"Magnus can I ask you for a favor?”   
  
“Why yes,” He tries not to show the concern in his voice. Everyone ask him for favors, all the time. Everyone except Alec. So if _he_ dares to ask, Magnus assumes it must be important.  
  
Alec prefers to cut right to the point. “Do you remember my brother Jace?”  
  
Magnus’ shoulders drop. He frowns, trying to remember what Jace looks like; he hasn’t seen him on that many occasions, come to think of it. “Blonde and… I’m sorry I just know he’s blonde and a pain in the ass.”  
  
“...Also right here.” Another voice on the phone says but he doesn’t really care to apologize to Jace.   
  
From what Alec told him, he does sound like a pain in the ass. After that all he hears is a muffled sound and a beeping tone and Alec is back on the phone. “Sorry, I took you off speaker.”   
  
“What does he want?”  
  
“Well, he needs a job but he’s got no - erm, qualifications and I thought…” Alec is stalling now, and Magnus is not sure he’s thrilled about what’s coming. “You know, you were talking about hiring a new male entertainer the other day so I figured -”  
  
“That is one hell of a favor you’re asking me there, Alexander.”  
  
“I know…”  
  
“I need actual dancers, creative people who -”  
  
“Jace can be creative, and he’s athletic and - Jace, do you mind, I’m on the - what? Oh yeah he wants me to tell you he took hip-hop classes in highschool.”   
  
“I don’t know, love. He’s more of a quaterback I really doubt -”  
  
“Magnus -” and Magnus knows perfectly well this is it because Alec called him by his name and he’s going to listen to what his boyfriend has to say and he’ll bend the knee and accept almost whatever deal he’s offering.   
  
“Look I know he’s a total doofus but he could really use this job. He’s a decent dancer and I think if you train him personally -”  
  
“Train him!? Of course I’ll train him I’m not going to let him near my customers before I evaluated his skills,” He says, his voice high in disbelief.   
  
Both of them are silent for a few seconds and eventually Magnus gives in and lets out a sigh.   
  
“Tell him to come to the loft tomorrow morning and I’ll take a decision then.”  
  
“Thanks Magnus, really. Thank you babe, you won’t reg-”  
  
“Oh don’t thank me just yet. You’ll make it up to me tonight. I’m talking flowers and chocolate and… Just use your imagination.”  
  
Alec hangs up with a big smile on his face. He loves to hear Magnus say that. He turns to Jace, now trying to keep a straight face.   
  
“So? What did he say?”   
  
Alec takes a few step towards his brother, and pats his shoulder sympathetically.   
  
“You are so screwed.”  
  
-x-  
  
“Take your clothes off.”   
  
“Excuse me?” Jace goes stiff and is even more uncomfortable when he realizes Magnus is not joking.   
  
The day hasn’t started out too well for Jace. One of his siblings always drives him when he needs them to, but this time Alec was already at Magnus’ and Izzy simply didn’t want to get out of bed early on her day off. And it is safe to say Jace hates the subway, so he called an Uber but his driver was late and he was already receiving texts from Alec that said _‘Magnus doesn’t like to wait’_ or _‘Magnus says if you’re not here in an hour you can still work at his club… only you’ll be cleaning the toilets’_.   
And now that he finally got to the loft (late, but better late than never) he is just asked to take off his clothes in the most blunt way possible.   
  
“I said; the clothes. Lose ‘em.”  
  
Jace shares a look with his brother who’s trying to bite back a smile. Alec shrugs, shaking his head. Jace sighs and starts to undress. When he’s finally wearing nothing but his boxer briefs and socks Magnus starts circling around him, examining his body and Jace has never felt so naked and exposed in his life.   
  
Magnus is behind him now, still scratching his chin pensively. Suddenly he reappears in front of Jace, startling him.   
  
“I need to take your measurements. Feets apart.”  
  
Jace obeys and glances at Alec, still smiling in a corner while Magnus is looking for something in one of his drawers. He comes back with tape measure and kneels in front of Jace. He places the tape around his thigh.  
  
“Do you really need that?”  
  
“Shush.” Jace tenses and Magnus clicks his tongue. “Don’t clench your muscles. That’s cheating.”  
  
Jace lets out a sigh and they keep doing this with every part of his body. Torso, waist, thigh, even calves and head. When he’s done, Magnus takes a step back to look at Jace and scratches his chin. This moment feels like forever for Jace but finally Magnus speaks with a weary tone in his voice, the same he’s always using when he Jace is around.   
  
“Work a little on your pectorals and… I suppose you’re fine.”  
  
Jace grins at the announcement, but he still feels terribly naked and assessed and somewhat contains his excitement. His glance meets Alec who’s smiling at his boyfriend like he’s saying ‘thank you’. Suddenly Magnus holds out a hand and the two of them freeze, though Jace a bit more than Alec.   
  
“_But_,” He smiles a devilish smile and nonchalantly walks over to his dark blue velvet chair and sits with both his arms resting on each side of the chair, expecting.   
  
“First, I need to see your moves.”   
  
And Jace goes livid. He wants him to dance. Of course. But he still got to ask.  
  
“You mean -”  
  
“Dance for me.” Magnus says and Jace is mortified. Dance for his brother’s boyfriend. In front of his brother. Because it’s just that simple.   
  
-x-

Jace was terrible. He _felt_ terrible. It turned out he was not as comfortable with his body as he thought he was. And Magnus was not really helping. It was always _‘you need to improve this’ _or ‘_you need to move your ass like that’_. And the more he tried to give his new boss what he wanted, the less Jace understood what was asked of him.   
  
He was never one to shy away from a good workout session but he had actually _seen_ Magnus perform.   
And as much as it hurts Jace to say it, Alec has got himself a pretty amazing guy. Not that Magnus is Jace’s type. He’s a little too much for him - and how Alec had not deemed him too much for himself was a mystery.   
  
This one was not called the_ High Warlock of Brooklyn_ for nothing.   
Magnus Bane wears eyeliner to begin with. He either wears very dark yet shiny clothes, or bright colors that always force Jace to double-check him when he walks into a room. He carries himself with his head held high but does not show any sign of pretention unless you truly underestimate him. Magnus is a man of great charisma, who knows how to run his business. But more so than any other, he’s nice. Maybe not to Jace, but he’s an angel to Alec and everybody else.   
He’s actually a perfect match for Alec.

“So,” Magnus says and yanks himself off his chair and Jace startles. “We don’t have time to unpack how bad this was.”  
  
“Awh come on man, I caught you smiling at one point when I was shaking my butt under your nose!”  
  
“I was actually smiling at how ridiulously flat your buttcheeks are. So add _squats_ to your workout plan.”  
  
“My what?” Jace protests, an crosses his arms, a little offended. “I treat my body like a temple, alright?”  
  
Alec snorts from the back of the room. “Then it looks like your temple is falling apart. Cause let’s be honest here, it’s been a while since you’ve hit the gym.”  
  
Jace raises his eyebrows at Alec, and for one second, he wants to punch him in the nose.   
Because what kept Jace from going to the gym these days, was beating himself up for ruining his chances of going back to college.Now of course Alec ad Izzy had no trouble with going to college. They would just have to ask their mom and Jace’s adoptive mother Maryse, for her to pay their tuition. And even though his brother and sister keep telling him their parents would pay for him, Jace just can’t ask. 

He’s been enough of a burden over the years.  
  
“Whatever,” he sighs. “If I’m just here for comic relief I’ll go get myself another job.” He says and grabs his pants and starts to put them back on and silence has settled across the room.   
  
It’s only when he’s got his shirt on and is looking for his shoes that Magnus interrupts him.  
  
“How early can you be here tomorrow?”  
  
“What?” Both Alec and Jace ask, caught off guard.  
  
“What about breakfast in bed?” Alec whines. “You promised!”  
  
“I’m sorry Alexander. You stay in bed while we’re working and I’ll come wake you up wth brunch instead?”  
  
“What’s tomorrow?” Jace asks.  
  
And Magnus smirks at him. He’s got the devil’s eye and Jace is both amused and scared at the same time.   
  
“Tomorrow your training starts.”  
  
  
  
**_[ October 20th 2017 ]_**  
  
  
  
After arguing with Magnus that 7am wasn’t too late in the day for a workout, Jace had gone home.   
He had nothing left to do that day, but since Alec was clearly looking forward to being alone with his boyfriend again, he had taken the subway home to a lightly snoring Isabelle who was still recovering from her night working at the club.   
  
Today he’s ready. A little alone time yesterday has been enough to recharge his batteries and lick his wounds from what Magnus had said earlier. And today he’s even ten minutes early for his first training. Jace is startled when he knocks on the door and it flies open almost instantly and Magnus is at the door…  
  
… Magnus, Lydia and another girl he doesn’t know but she catches his eye ; she’s stunning. The dangerous kind, with her long, _long_ legs and batting brown eyes.   
  
“Jace, this is Lydia and Kaelie.”   
  
_Kaelie.__  
__  
_“If you don’t mind, and I most certainly don’t care if you do, I called the girls to come help me with your training. They are - like every one of my employees - my best dancers.”   
  
Magnus is talking and Jace is desperately trying to focus but his eyes just keep swinging back to Kaelie because she is just __that pretty. Magnus snapping his fingers at him and prompting him to come inside startles Jace back to reality, and he finds Kaelie is smiling at him. She’s giving him that look. That look many girls and sometimes guys have given him before, and he knows too well she’s trouble but he also already knows neither of them will settle for ‘just looking’.   
Lydia-from-11th-grade on the other hand is giving them a side-eye, clearly not approving of this little staring contest going on between Jace and Kaelie.   
  
Magnus just rolls his eyes.  
  


Lydia Branwell hasn’t changed one bit since Jace knew her. She’s still so serious and professional and it just looks like she does not and will not smile. Except now somehow she’s a stripper. And just like that, Jace is wondering what she is like on stage, and it’s like Magnus reads his mind cause he’s leading them to a training room he arranged in the spare space of his loft.    
  
It looks like a dance studio with poles. Mirrors are covering the biggest wall and a dozen chairs are stacked up in a corner of the room.    
  
“You can change in the living-room, we’ll wait here.” Lydia says and starts stretching her arms.   
  
“Why are you guys here?” Jace asks the two girls, but looks at Magnus for an explanation.    
  
“Today Lydia will show you the basics of pole dance, and Kaelie will teach you how to give a lapdance, since grace is not your forte.”   
  
At that, Jace can’t help but feel his cheeks burn a little. “W-What about you? Weren’t  _ you  _ supposed to teach me?”   
  
Magnus smiles. “Me, I’ll cook brunch for your brother and once you’re done with these two devils I’ll show you choreo.”   
  
“Choreo?” This time Jace is sweating. “ You never talked about choreo!”   
“My club is not about just undressing. It is so much more than that.” Magnus blurts out, as if offended. “ I make a point of offering my clientele a unique visual experience, with dance, pole numbers, ribbons, aerial dancing, you name it.”    
  
He takes a breath and his face seems to relax a little. He even smiles. “Think of it as being halfway between a stripclub and a cabaret. We’re not strippers. We’re performers.”   
  
‘So you’re like Magic Mike and his crew in Magic Mike XXL?” Jace says and for one second he’s amused and catches a smile tugging at Kaelie’s lips.    
  
“While I’m horrified at the idea of you trying to learn watching Magic Mike XXL,” Magnus says, “it does show you’re willing to learn. Now put on your shorts. You’ll need to show some skin if you want to stick to the pole.”   
  
“Do I want my skin to stick to the pole?” Jace asks, and he’s a little worried about his skin rubbing against the pole because  _ obviously that’s got to hurt.  _   
  
“No you don’t,” Lydia says and Magnus is laughing. “But you’re not gonna have a choice.”   
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope this chapter made you laugh as much as I liked writing it.   
If you like it, there's more to come! 
> 
> (I appreciate the feedback so feel free to comment, kudos and/or bookmark!) 
> 
> \- olesmainshoe xx


	3. everything is a bit hard to promise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Isabelle is a responsible citizen who cares about global warming and often chooses the subway over her car. The planet thanks her, and so does this cute art student.

**_[ December 13th 2017 ]_****_  
_****_  
_**  
  
”Jace has actually been making progress,” Alec says on the phone but Izzy can barely make out the words. “Magnus says he needs to work a bit more on the pole, but he should be getting on stage soon, at least for dance numbers.”  
  
“T-That’s great Alec,” Isabelle practically yells at her phone for her brother to hear her through the noise on the subway platform. “I gotta go, I can’t hear you.”  
  
When she hangs up Isabelle lets out a sigh and puts her phone back into her purse. Alec called everyday when he was at Magnus’, to check on her sister and see if her and Jace needed anything.  
  
The three of them had always been very close, and they still are. They made a promise to tell each other everything, but sometimes _everything _is a bit hard to promise.  
  
She’s going to be late. She hates being late, especially to those meetings. Isabelle does not usually shy away from a little attention ; her whole job is about getting people’s attention. But these weekly meetings are never pleasant to go to. They’re emotionally draining, but Isabelle knows it’s important and she needs to go.   
Thankfully, the next subway is at her station and she hurries into the wagon and is lucky enough to have a seat.   
  
It’s a thirty-minutes subway ride, and it’s a good thing she didn’t forget her headphones. Music helps take her mind off this whole process of healing. She puts on her headphones and plays the playlist for tonight’s show at Pandemonium. We’re in the middle of December, and they have already started the holiday special shows.   
Magnus loves the holidays. Every one of them, and of course he takes pride in coming up with entire routines from Halloween to Christmas and of course Valentine’s Day.  
  
The Pandemonium is not your average stripclub. Isabelle loves to perform this time of year, because it’s usually the biggest shows they have, the most spectacular and both boys and girls dance together. The rest of the time, they have two seperate rooms. One with female dancers, and another with males. Knowing that, the clientele is free to choose which room it wants to visit, depending on whether you want to see men, women, or both.   
During the holiday shows, dancers from the two rooms are reunited on one stage.   
  
She’s listening and trying to remember the choreography to “Santa Baby”, a number she’s doing with Kaelie tonight when she looks away from her phone and locks eyes with a girl sitting across from her.   
The girl is holding a sketchbook and freezes when she sees Isabelle is staring back at her, and it’s only then that Izzy realizes she must have been looking at her for a while.   
  
She is beautiful.   
  
Isabelle doesn’t find a lot a people beautiful, but this girl has something. Her red hair is fascinating in the way it falls over her shoulders, naturally wavy strands of hair tucked behind her ears, and even though she’s only had a couple seconds to look into them, Isabelle is genuinely moved by her eyes.   
  
Her _eyes. _  
  
Bright, playful, sparkling green eyes with lashes so long Isabelle is almost jealous. The girl isn’t even wearing makeup. She is just _that _ much of a beautiful sight.   
Isabelle is offering her a smile when she looks down and smirks at her sketchbook, her soft freckled cheeks turning pink.   
  
Izzy realizes she’s never had a crush on a redhead before.   
  
She takes off her headphones and decides to look at the girl some more, and wonders what she’s drawing. She’s moving so fast now, stroke of a pencil here and there and Isabelle is truly captivated by her and her entire essence. She fees incredibly drawn to her and would like to talk to her, ask her for her name but she also doesn’t want to interrupt her in her process so she stares, lips parted and more intrigued than ever.   
  
One final, sharp line and the girl finally looks up to see which station they’re at, and quickly writes something down on her drawing and before Isabelle knows it, she rips the page from the sketchbook, stands up and hands it to Isabelle.   
  
Izzy hesitates a little but reaches out for the paper and discovers her portrait in pencil. The girl drew her while she was staring down at her phone. It’s so realistic and well-done Isabelle is at a loss for word ; no one had ever drawn her portrait before and least of all in less than ten minutes.   
  
She’s still staring at the drawing when the redhead speaks to her.   
  
“This is what I do. I sit in the subway and draw people I find interesting and give them their portraits.” The girl says, and Izzy smiles.   
  
“But I don’t have any money…”   
  
The girl laughs a sweet laugh and Isabelle is startled. “I don’t do it for the money,” she says and Isabelle feels a little stupid now. “But… if you want to give me something, try giving me a call.”  
  
Isabelle raises an eyebrow, amused. Cute _and _bold. The subway stops and the girl looks at the wagon doors opening.  
  
“This is where I get off.” She stops; her phone is buzzing in her pocket. “I hope I’ll see you again.” She says before picking up.  
  
“Yes, Simon. I’m almost there.”  
  
She nods goodbye and smiles as she walks out of the subway without giving Isabelle a chance to say anything. Izzy is still in shock and smiling to herself when they leave the station and she finally looks down at the drawing, to find a note underneath the portrait.   
  
_[To the beautiful stranger on the subway… __  
_ _\- Clary ]__  
___  
… followed by her phone number.   
  
Isabelle is grinning now, ear to ear and she recognizes this feeling as butterflies in her stomach.   
  
One feeling she hasn’t experienced in a while.   
  
Next stop is her station.   
  
She gets off the subway. She really wants to call that girl, have a coffee or whatever. And it all sounds amazing and something to look forward too, until she wonders if she’s truly ready to date again.   
  
But it’s unfair.   
  
She should be allowed to date and love again. She’s a year clean.   
  
And suddenly she remembers she was going to a Heroin Anonymous meeting.   


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here you go, chapter three!   
Sorry it's a short one, I thought it was enough and I said what needed to be said. But more on Clary and Izzy later, I promise. 
> 
> Next week the Jimon comes in, and in the meantime feel free to tell me what you thought of this chapter in the comments!   
See ya next sunday,  
-ole xx


	4. second door on your right, dear

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Simon's band has landed them a gig tonight. But it's not at a bar. It's at a club, and I'm not even trying to keep the mystery alive with these chapter summaries.

_**[ March 4th** **2018 ]**_

This just can’t be the place. People are going crazy lining up in front of the club, because it is a _club_ and not a bar for starters. Simon is starting to wonder whether his friends are trying to pull a prank on him or not.   
  
“You’re sure you got the right address?” Simon asks, naive as ever.   
“Yep,” Maureen says with a nod. “Pandemonium.”  
  
At that, Simon looks up and sees the sign he somehow hadn’t seen before. A neon sign reading _pandemonium _in the pansexual flag colors. He can’t help but feel excited and proud and decides to snap a picture to send to Clary, grinning from ear to ear.   
  
“I think one of us should go inside to check.” Maureen says again, this time with a smile tugging at her lips and Simon knows something is going on.   
  
“You know what,” he says, “The whole band was supposed to play tonight. So I say we all go in, and this way I know you’re not pranking me. We’ll se if the guard lets us in and I’ll decide whether you’re the bunch of filthy liars that you are.”  
  
Though not without a little argument, Simon finally manages to convince his bandmates to come inside with him, so they cross the road and try to make their way past the line without getting noticed by the people waiting. With a little cursing and a wave of protest, they get to the guard. Simon clears his throat.   
  
  
“Hi, um…” He stutters, and can sense the guard is already losing his patience. “We’re the band, we may have a gig here tonight. Is there a stage door?”   
  
The guard frowns a little and looks Simon up and down. Finally, he turns around and points to the next corner.   
  
“Right up that alley.”   
  
Simon is relieved and thanks the guard. He turns to his friends who all smile awkwardly at him. Of course this is not the place. It’s just a miracle that the guard let them in. But for now they silently decide to just roll with it, let the fun happen.   
Simon leading them, they make their way through the first door in the alley - the supposed stage door. Though oddly enough, they’re not welcomed by anyone. They find themselves in a narrow, dimly lit hallway full of doors with no sign. Simon thinks they must not hire a lot of bands to play there.   
  
At that thought, he’s starting to get nervous, and his hands are getting clammy.   
  
“You guys stay here, I’ll go see if I can find someone to show us where to get settled.”  
  
Barely waiting for their approval, Simon starts down the hallway. He makes a left, and then a right, not really knowing where he’s going and wondering whats behind some of the doors. It its so much bigger than it looks from the oustide ; the place is a real maze and he’s a little relieved when after a couple of turns he hears the music (though still muffled) getting louder. He reaches what looks to be the main entrance again. A woman behind a counter is selling tickets. Simon decides to reach out to her.  
  
“Excuse me -”  
  
“Hi!” The woman says in a high-pitched voice with a large grin on her face. Simon can’t help but smile back.   
  
“Hi, I’m in the band, we were wondering where we could get settled for the show?”  
  
“Oh, you’re early.” The woman says, a little distracted by the people handing her cash every other second to get into the club. “I’ll send Magnus your way in a bit.”  
  
Simon thanks her and before leaving, takes a look around. He’s wondering what kind of club this is, other than very obviously LGBT friendly. The stress kicks back in and he feels he might need to go to the toilet before going back to his friends. He leans over to the nice lady.   
  
“Excuse me, where’s the men’s room?”  
  
The woman gives him a side-smile and points behind him. ”Down this hallway, second door on your right, dear.”  
  
Simon is a little weirded out by her smile but shrugs it off because he really needs to splash his face with cold water to snap out of the anxiety and maybe pee too. He rushes down the hallway and the muffled sounds are getting louder so they must be close to where the party’s at. But then he doesn’t stop to think and he pushes the door with ‘Men’ written in gold letters and the door closes behind him and he is horrified.   
  
This is not the restroom, and he’s not sure he’s not going to pee his pants.   
  
_{One sip and I’ll be okay, only aching for your taste}___  
  
There’s a stage there. And people are oiled up and wearing leather ensembles. Simon thinks he’s gaping when his phone buzzing in his pocket brings him back to reality. Clary replied. ‘_simon why are u at a strip club’_   
Why? Because his friends are mean people and he’s seriously considering ditching them and going solo. Maybe he’ll even keep the name, because _Rock Solid Panda_ is a damn cool name and his bandmates don’t deserve it.   
  
_{I just gotta get my fix, love your flavor on my lips}___  
__  
Before Simon has any time to turn back, he’s startled by the lights changing for what seems to be the bridge of the song and the three men dancing jump from the stage and start eyeing the crowd. It’s probably a great time for Simon to go but his curiosity is too strong and he stays just a second too long and one of the dancers lays eyes on him like a hawk lays eyes on a fat rat.   
  
It doesn’t take long for the dancer to make his way to Simon who’s still frozen in place. The man is beautiful and athletic (not that Simon cares so much about our society’s beauty standards) and he is not much taller than him. His blonde hair is cropped at the sides and it is obvious that he tried to put some gel in his hair to keep it all in place but it was no use with all the sweating. Simon finally tries to hold his hand out to stop him but it’s too late.   
The man grabs a chair from a table nearby and places it behind Simon. He then gently pushes him with the tip of his fingers to prompt him to sit, and Simon is so nervous he lets himself fall in the chair.   
  
_{Send your sugar straight into my veins, I crave you, all the time}___  
__  
The man starts rolling his hips in Simon’s face and Simon is not sure what to do. He’s never been given a lapdance before, and has never been to a stripclub either, so he doesn’t know how to act at all to say the least.   
The stripper takes a few steps back and Simon thinks that it’s over when he’s actually just getting started. He lets himself fall forward like Simon’s seen hip hop dancers do in the street and somehow crawls his way to him in a sexy way which leaves our shy accounting student thinking about how he’d _never _look sexy doing that.   
  
He then spreads Simon’s legs suggestively and Simon winces. Not on leg day, _please_. He’s still sore from the only day of the week where he’s had time to workout, and the dancer notices his face and stands back up, only to come sit on his lap.   
  
“You’re new here, aren’t you?” He leans over and says in Simon’s ear.  
  
_{Let me spend the night and entertain you, detain you, all night}___  
__  
The beautiful man on Simon’s lap slowly starts rolling his body and grinding against his stomach and Simon might actually be starting to lose it. This can’t be happening, and no matter how weirdly pleasant this is; it’s still weird.   
Probably-fake-blond stripper starts to lean back slowly and in an awkard attempt to keep him from falling backwards Simon grabs his hips and the dancer comes back up, grinning. Just as he’s starting to regret this and is about to apologize, the guy places his hands on his and makes direct eye contact with him as he grinds some more against his crotch area.   
  
_{You can get me up all night}_  
  
There is a certain obvious tension between them now and Simon is actually a little turned on. He’s holding on to his chair now and he catches himself feeling a little disappointed when the dancer stands back up just to sit back down with his back leaning against his chest now.   
He places Simon’s hands on his set of oiled up abs and then proceeds to take the glasses off his customer’s nose and hang them to his underwear and this time it is too much for ‘poor’ Simon. He prompts the stripper to stand up and gets out of the chair himself, nervously brushing off his clothes.  
  
_{You know exactly what I like}___  
__  
_“_I-I’m not supposed to be here!” He yells.   
  
“What do you mean?” The dancer asks, frowning. “Are you a minor?”  
  
“No! I’m here with my band, we were supposed to play tonight.”   
  
“What, here?”  
  
“Look at me, obviously not here! We got the wrong address!” Simon blurts out, feeling upset and guilty for exploiting this man and robbing him of his time and money.   
  
_{Satisfy my appetite}___  
__  
The dancer rubs the back of his neck, a little embarrassed too. “I’m sorry man, my boss is going to kill me… Are you even into -”  
  
“Y-Yeah, I am it’s just - that’s not the question.” Simon sighs. At this point he’s mortified. He reaches into his pocket for cash.  
  
“It was a great quality lapdance, I guess it usally costs a lot more but that’s all I have.” He says, pulling out a ten dollar bill frrom his jeans.  
  
The moment is so awkard he doesn’t even dare to look into the man’s eyes and miserably places his ten dollars on the chair before running out of the room, leaving that man almost empty-handed.  
  
Simon doesn’t stop running after that. He should probably go find his friends (if they’re still in the building) but he runs through the hallway and gets out by the main entrance, pushing past people.  
Once he’s outside, he stops to enjoy the fresh air. He had forgotten he wanted to pee. After catching his breath, he decides to go find his van and drive to Clary’s to tell her everything about this shit show in person. It’s only when he’s on his way there that he realizes he left his glasses in there.__  
__  



	5. what's his deal?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An additional scene I thought of during my writing hiatus.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone, it's me again! 
> 
> I know it's been a few months when I said I'd post regularly. To be honest it has been a rough couple of months, and then all the stress and anxiety led to writer's block etc... I realized it is best for me to not promise anything and post only when I feel good enough to write something I like. 
> 
> I am writing a new chapter, but paused in the middle of it because I had the idea for this particular scene here. It would've fit at the end of the last chapter, but I figured, why not make it a tiny "I'M BACK" annoucement chapter? 
> 
> Hope you enjoy this, hopefully next chapter will come in the next few days. 
> 
> All my love and support,   
-olesmainshoe x

[ March 4th 2018   
Later that night... ]  
  
“Will you just let it go, Alec?!”   
  
Jace tries to whisper but Alec is laughing uncontrollably and Jace is worried he’ll wake Izzy up. Or the whole building. He’s trying to put the key in the door lock but Alec who’s holding his phone is shaking with the light. He’s being annoying and Jace is already embarrassed enough as it is. Besides, being a pain in the ass is usually his job.   
  
Alec is giggling so much his stomach hurts and he has to wipe away a tear from his eye.   
  
When the two brothers come inside, they find Isabelle still awake, like they rarely see her. She’s curled up on the sofa with a black hoodie, a blanket covering her legs and she’s distractedly eating her favorite kind of ice cream watching Gilmore Girls.   
Alec even stops laughing and stares at her, but she’s first to ask them what’s going on and he’s gone again. Jace sighs and glares at Izzy before taking off his shoes and coat.   
  
“What’s his deal?” She points at Alec and asks Jace. “Haven’t seen him laugh like that since-” She stops, frowns. “Actually I’ve never seen him like that it’s very disturbing.”  
  
Jace eyes Alec who’s still unfastening his coat and shaking his head to himself and grinning. He turns to Isabelle.   
  
“Please don’t mind him. What’s with the rom-com starter pack?”  
  
Isabelle grunts, sitting up straight. “See this girl I was seeing?” Jace nods. “She’s out of town for the next two weeks. She’s doing this art showcase thingy.”   
  
Jace scoffs.   
  
“Two weeks? That’s nothing. Come on Izzy, the brooding? Not a good look on you.”   
  
“I’m not a fan of it either, believe me, I know how ridiculous that sounds,” Izzy snaps back. Nods at Alec. “I just hope this snitch doesn’t tell Magnus about all the snacking and not sleeping.”  
  
Alec finally joins them in the living-room, snickering and he slaps Jace on the shoulder, startling him.   
  
“Guess what happened tonight!” He practically shouts, hysterical. Jace rolls his eyes and tries to stop him but Izzy is paying close attention, amused.   
  
“Jace gave a ten-dollar-lapdance!”  
  
Isabelle almost drops her spoon and stops chewing.   
  
“Oh my God.” She mumbles with her mouth full.   
  
At this point, Jace is mortified, and is reliving the scene despite his greatest efforts to ignore his brother mocking him.   
But he’s just not getting away with this. So he lets himself fall on the couch next to Izzy and decides to wait for Alec to be done.   
  
“The guy ran,” Alec continues, having to pause every five words or so to laugh. “And left a ten dollar bill on the chair! Jace had to pick it up, it was priceless.”  
  
Izzy is too shocked to laugh or say anything at all or even laugh. Jace is sitting there with his head in his hands and then turns to her.   
  
She slowly looks from Alec over to Jace. “Magnus is going to kill you.” She says as she digs her spoon back into the bucket of ice cream. Jace scoffs.   
  
“No. No way, we are not telling him.” He warns, but Alec is looking at him with eyes the size of dinner plates. He bites his lip.  
  
“That’s actually too bad because I texted him on the ride home.”  
  
Izzy lets out a gasp and Jace sighs in frustration. She pats his back sympathetically.   
  
“Don’t worry, I’ll help you apply for other jobs.”


	6. isn't that your cousin lydia?!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Clary takes Simon back to the club, because she needs her own terrible first stripclub impression.

**_[ March 17th 2018 ]  
_****_  
_****_  
_****_  
_**Simon is nervously checking his phone every two seconds, waiting on the other side of the street across the Pandemonium. At this point his stomach is just tied into a big knot, until finally his phone rings.   
  
“Clary where are you?!”   
  
And then a tone. This time he swears he could kill her. After waiting fifteen minutes in the cold, she calls just to hang up on -  
  
“Hey grumpy!” Simon startles. Clary just appeared behind his back grabbing him by the shoulders.   
  
“Jesus, Fray. I really thought you were ditching me.”  
  
Clary smiles, pats her best friend’s shoulder. “I would never,” she assures. She then turns to face the club and grins at the _Pandemonium_ neon sign.   
  
“So,” she says, “is that where the big bad dragon guards the treasure?”  
  
This brings back memories that give Simon goosebumps. Flashes of the night come rushing in, lights and music too loud, way too loud, and oiled up people shaking their butts and rubbing up against the clientele. One of them rubbing up against _him. __  
__  
_“Why are we even here anyway,” Simon asks, shaking the thoughts out of his head. “I got new glasses.” He says, pushing the brand new pair up his nose.   
  
Clary laughs a mischievous laugh and grabs Simon’s arm to cross the street and try to get into the club. They’re here because she’s curious. She goes straight towards the bouncer but Simon stops her sharp. He knows this club is way too exclusive to let two dorks like them in.  
Instead he takes her by the hand and leads her to the alley around the corner. She smirks.   
  
“Is that...”   
  
“Stage door.” Simon says and though he feels the heat rising to his cheeks, a smile is tugging at his lips.   
  
It had been a while since he and Clary last hung out. He misses their highschool years, always being together and going on adventures and shenanigans.   
He never feels more brave than the times he’s with her. Always getting him in trouble, but in a way he always secretly liked.   
Simon was a shy kid before he met Clary, or maybe he still is. She just brings the light out of people. No wonder he used to crush on her all those years.  
  
As they carefully make their way up the long corridor he remembers from last time he was here, Simon explains how there are two rooms in the strip club, one with male strippers and one with female strippers, which, if he was being honest, is _genius_. They stop in front of what he so stupidly thought was the restroom a few weeks ago. The crime scene, the city of lust and glitter, the chamber of torture.   
  
“Just so we’re clear,” Simon warns Clary who’s too excited to be listening to him. “We go in, you take a look, I try to avoid eye contact with any living creature in there, we head out, you copy?”  
  
But before he’s done speaking, Clary has already pushed the door and is rushing inside. “Clary, do you copy?!” Simon yells as he follows her reluctantly.   
  
Though they could hear a bit of the music from the corridor, the sound level startles him when he walks into the room. He hates clubs in general, and this one is no exception. On the contrary, you could say he hates this one even more, because he got so, so embarrassed here. He gave the poor dancer a ten dollar bill. He was so mortified that thinking back on it a few days later, he had googled the average price of a lapdance, and for a club of this importance, this was a joke. It is just another reason not to stay here too long, but Clary’s already nodding her head to the music.   
  
Simon nervously looks over to the stage to see if the dancer who gave him a lapdance is there performing, but to his great relief, it’s a woman on stage, which is confusing him at first and making him wonder if they’re in the men’s room. But then he remembers what he read on the club’s Facebook page ; every other saturday they have mixt shows and numbers in both rooms,  
And suddenly, the music stops, changes, slows down. Their DJ is amazing, Simon thinks. Clary grabs his arm and squeezes, obviously excited. It almost helps Simon relax and appreciate the moment.   
  
_{Used to cry ‘bout some crazy shit before}_  
  
The girl on stage is turning her back on the people, standing behind her wooden chair. Her body looks beautiful, flawless, and she’s swaying her hips to the music, one hand holding her black fedora in place.   
  
_{Used to feel so obligated to be so much more}__  
__  
_ She finally whirls around and grabs on the chair. She spins it so gracefully and sits astride it. The dancer then takes off her fedora that was up until now holding her hair in place and casting a shadow on her face, and tosses it aside like a freesbee. Simon can feel Clary freeze next to him. She lets go of his arm.   
  
_{But if I can’t be me then what’s the point?}__  
__  
_ The beautiful dancer leans back on the chair so slowly and beautifully, it actually strikes Simon how good she is on stage. He can feel he’s not the only one. Everyone is captivated by her beauty, but in the end, it is sort of her job to be beautiful and captivating.   
Clary’s hand distractedly patting his arm takes him out of his awe.   
  
“Remember this girl I told you I’ve been seeing?” She says in his ear loud enough for him to hear her with the music.  
  
“Isabelle? Yeah, sure, why?”  
  
“Yeah. That’s her.” She says, and points to the girl on stage.   
  
_{No, I don’t care about it anymore}__  
__  
_Simon almost bursts out laughing when he glances at Clary and she looks absolutely mortified. He crosses his arms over his chest and feels like saying ‘well, well, well’ because after all this time she spent laughing at him he deserves a good laugh too.   
  
And so they wait. They wait for the number to be done, for the music to stop or for the sky to fall and finally wait for Clary’s girlfriend to stop grinding against people in the room. While Clary can’t take her eyes off Isabelle, Simon looks around and sees different dancers walking among the crowd, offering dances or simply chatting with clients. He then spots a familiar face and freezes.   
  
“Isn’t that your cousin Lydia?!” He asks Clary, hysterical, and she has to double-check but it’s her and she runs a hand across her face, refusing to believe it.   
  
Meanwhile Isabelle’s dancing for a woman she brought on stage and when the lapdance is done, Isabelle guides her off the stage with a grin on her face and finishes her routine by returning to her chair and striking a pose.   
  
“I’m sorry, I need to go find Izzy.”   
  
As soon as the lights fade out and the people applaud and cheer, Clary’s gone. She rushes towards the stage walking along the side of the room not to disturb people at their tables. Simon doesn’t have time to stop her, and is a bit bitter when he remembers she told him she wouldn’t leave him alone. But then again, he kind of understands. He too would want to have a talk with the person he’d been seeing if he were to discover said person was a stripper. 

  
The music starts again, a different song and this time three men get up on the stage. No sign of his blond dancer.   
Simon realizes it’s a nice place in the end, and he’s probably just had a terrible, rocky start. But then again so did Clary. So maybe when everything is figured out they can come back.   
  
He turns around to go wait in a corner for his best friend to come back but is startled when he sees two guys walking up to him. One of them is a tall man with dark hair and the other one is the ten dollar lapdance guy.   
He freezes in place.  
  
“Didn’t think you’d be back so soon… Or at all.” The blond stripper yells over the music.   
  
He’s smiling now, and Simon is so nervous he might throw up. The dancer then turns to his friend and gestures for him to leave, but the man just stares straight at Simon, shaking his head and grinning from ear to ear. He knows. The dancer insists, and his friend sighs before smiling one more time and leaving, not taking his eyes off Simon.   
  
“I’m Jace, by the way.”   
  
“S-Simon.” Simon stutters and Jace grins.   
  
He’s close, too close and it brings back yet again those embarrassing memories, but _damn,_ he’s beautiful. Jace leads Simon closer to the exit door so they are a bit more comfortable to chat. Simon can’t help but check him up and down when Jace is not looking. He’s wearing nothing but black briefs and somehow he looks comfortable and confident, and Simon wonders if this is what it feels like to have a perfect body.  
  
“I see you got new glasses,” Jace says and Simon blushes. “Sorry about that.”   
  
Simon doesn’t know what to say. He usually talks a lot so for him to be nervous to the point of not knowing what to say was saying a lot. Jace looks down, and smiles sympathetically.   
  


“I’ll leave you alone, I just came to say hi.”  
  
“No!” Simon says before he can stop himself. Nicely done, he thinks, he looked like an idiot before, now he looks like a weirdo. “I-I mean, if you got work, you can go, I don’t mind.”  
  
Jace smiles, looking smug. Looking like he knows Simon is intimidated by him. Like he knows Simon finds him cute. It’s okay, he thinks Simon’s cute too.   
  
“I’m working _now._”  
  
Suddenly Simon thinks turning into a rat and hiding wouldn’t be such a bad idea considering how embarrassing this encounter was. But somehow no matter how awkward he was being, Jace was still here, talking to him. In the end, the club wasn’t lacking clients to talk to.   
  
“Do you want a dance?” He finally asks.   
  
Simon clears his throat, his head feeling a little dizzy now. “I don’t have any money, sorry. And last time I only gave you -”  
  
“This one’s on the house.” Jace says, grabbing a chair nearby and Simon raises an eyebrow. Jace gestures for him to sit and Simon hesitates for a moment, but decides it’s not worth getting so nervous about, and he should let this beautiful man dance for him tonight.   
  
  
**_[ The morning after... ]_****_  
_****_  
_****_  
_**“Jace gave a free lapdance.”  
  
“Alec!” Jace and Isabelle yell, and Izzy slams her fork down on the table.   
  
Magnus stops eating his pancakes and stares at Jace. He takes a sip of his orange juice Izz has prepared for brunch. “You did what?”  
  
Jace freezes, not knowing if he should speak or on the contrary, keep his mouth shut. Alec is the worst snitch that ever walked this earth.   
  
“No I didn’t, shut up Alec.”  
  
“Liar,” Alec says with a laugh in his voice. “You rode the _shit_ out of him for free. It was almost sad.”  
  
At this point Jace thinks he should just quit. Because he’s dead. Fired. Izzy is burying herself in her bowl of oatmeal, trying not to take any more part in this.   
  
“Wanna know what’s sad, Alec?” Jace says, “Spending all your nights at a strip club you don’t work at spying on your brother and waiting for your boyfriend.”  
  
Magnus scoffs. “That’s not sad, it’s adorable.” He says and wipes his mouth with his napkin. “Anyway, you don’t dance for free kiddo. Try not to make it a habit.”   
  
He gets up and him and Alec head for the shower, leaving Jace and Izzy thinking it wasn’t so bad after all. But then again, the night Magnus met Alec he ended up dancing for him almost all night and did not make him pay for a single lapdance. Jace is pulled out of his thoughts by Izzy giggling. He looks over to her.   
  
“I saw the guy,” She says, clearing her throat. “I wouldn’t have pegged him for your type.”   
  



End file.
